Faithful Words, Kind Works
The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. Psalm 145:17
It happened again. I’m checking into a hotel where I made a reservation for a wheelchair accessible room two weeks earlier, only to be told, “Sorry. This room is out of service due to a maintenance issue and we have nothing else available.”
A friend and I were attending a women’s conference in Appomattox, VA when we decided to check into our hotel in Lynchburg during the break between the afternoon session and dinner. Being told there is “no room at the inn” is nothing new to me. My husband and I travel often and at least fifty percent of the time we encounter issues that make our stay challenging. Although the rooms are deemed ADA accessible, the showers are poorly designed and beds are usually too high for me to even attempt to lift myself onto them. So having to scramble at the last minute to find another accommodation is nothing new to me.
But over the years, it’s become harder and harder to travel with the uncertainty of what lies ahead once I reach my destination. My tolerance levels have dropped considerably and my patience is getting as thin as a piece of threadbare cloth, ready to rip at any moment. It’s just hard.
I take a deep breath. I pray. I’m nice to the hotel staff. It’s not their fault the ADA accessible room doesn’t work for me. This time, I should have been called beforehand and told the room is out of order. The hotel staff knew they dropped the ball and apologized profusely. They tried to find another room which would work for me at another location, but none of them had anything available. After two hours of trying to find us a room else-where, my friend and I have missed dinner at the conference, as we tried to figure out what to do next.
Psalm 145:17 tells us “God is faithful in his words and kind in all his works.” He never leaves or forsakes us. He’s always present and working in ways we cannot see. As it turned out, the sold-out hotel in Appomattox where most of the conference attendee’s were staying had an ADA accessible room come available. Imagine that. Just when we thought we’d be sleeping in our car, the very room I needed was unoccupied and waiting for us when we arrived. Is God faithful in his words? He sure is!
And not only this, but the room was a suite with a sleeper sofa. Another friend we were planning to meet at the conference had unfortunately booked a room at a sketchy hotel, the kind of place where you feel like you need a tetanus shot just to sit in the parking lot. Thankfully, she was able to get out of that room and stay with us instead, sleeping on the sofa bed in our room. Is God kind in all his works? You betcha!
What hardship might you be facing today?
An illness? God will give you people to lovingly care for you.
Loneliness? God will send someone to hold your hand.
Financial difficulty? God will provide.
Discouragement? God breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
Grief? God promises to be close to those who are crushed in spirit.
Single parenting? God will give you the stamina and strength for such a noble task.
Addictions? God promises to set the captives free.
Are you stuck in a job for which you are ill-suited? The Father knows your anguish.
A bad marriage? Reconciliation is never impossible with God.
A broken relationship? God will give you wisdom and understanding.
When things seem to be falling apart, trust the One who holds it all together. He is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works!
